The Origins of Shape-Note Notation

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to document my investigation into the origins of the notational system known as Shape-Note. This style of notation was first developed early in the 19th century in the northeastern part of the United States, then spread west and south. In modern practice, the religious genre is known for its raw approach to singing the three or four part choral pieces, and for the unique notation from which the repertoire is read. It is a system of four shapes that replace the traditional note heads, and each represents one of four solmization syllables. This paper will show the connection of the four syllable Shape-Note system to the earlier English four syllable solmization system popular in the 16th and 17th centuries and answer the question of why the shaped-note system was created. The answer lies in the foundations of public music education in New England, and the religious practice of Psalm-Tune singing, popular there in the 18th and 19th centuries.